Article ID: 330598 - Last Review: November 15, 2007 - Revision: 3.6

FIX: Client for NFS does not automatically mount the NFS shared folder when it encounters symbolic links during a mount operation

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This article was previously published under Q330598

For a Microsoft Windows Services for UNIX 3.0 version of this article, see 831884 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/831884/ ) .

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SYMPTOMS

If a Network File System (NFS) shared folder that is mounted by Client for NFS contains a symbolic link, and if the target of the symbolic link is located on another NFS shared folder that is on the same computer, Client for NFS does not automatically mount the NFS shared folder that contains the target of the symbolic link when the symbolic link is accessed.

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CAUSE

This functionality was not included in Microsoft Services for UNIX 3.0.

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RESOLUTION

A supported hotfix is available from Microsoft. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix might receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next software update that contains this hotfix.

If the hotfix is available for download, there is a "Hotfix download available" section at the top of this Knowledge Base article. If this section does not appear, contact Microsoft Customer Service and Support to obtain the hotfix.

Note If additional issues occur or if any troubleshooting is required, you might have to create a separate service request. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for this specific hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Customer Service and Support telephone numbers or to create a separate service request, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support (http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support)

Note The "Hotfix download available" form displays the languages for which the hotfix is available. If you do not see your language, it is because a hotfix is not available for that language.
The English version of this release has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time item in Control Panel.

   Date         Time   Version      Size     File name
   -------------------------------------------------------
   15-May-2003  01:25  7.0.1701.13  311,680  Nfsrdr.sys
   15-May-2003  01:17  7.0.1701.13  358,080  Nfsrdrn4.sys
   24-Jan-2003  21:10  5.0.2134.1    35,600  Regini.exe

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STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a limitation in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

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MORE INFORMATION

After this update is applied, Client for NFS can automatically mount the NFS shared folder that contains the target of a symbolic link if it is exported from the same computer that exported the NFS shared folder that contains the symbolic link.

Both shared folders must be hosted on the same NFS server. Client for NFS cannot automatically mount the shared folder that contains the target of the symbolic link if the shared folder that contains the symbolic link and the shared folder that contains the target of the symbolic link are on different servers.

Client for NFS can automatically mount the target shared folder by using the credentials of only one user per logon session. For example, if a user mounts the target shared folder using this feature, the user cannot mount the target shared folder with the logon credentials of another user in the same logon session. To do so, the user must log off and then log on again. The user can then use the credentials of the second session to mount the target shared folder.

If the target of a symbolic link is also a symbolic link that references another target on a third NFS shared folder, Client for NFS cannot automatically mount the third shared folder.

When this update is applied, a new feature is enabled by creating the following new registry entry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\Client for NFS\CurrentVersion\Users\Default\Defaults\ MountSymlinkTargetShare

The key is set to 1 to enable this feature. To disable this feature, set this registry entry to zero and then stop and restart Client for NFS. When the registry entry is set to zero, Client for NFS behaves as though the update had not been applied, that is, Client for NFS does not traverse symbolic links across shared folders.

This update applies only to Client for NFS. There are no plans to enable symbolic link traversal for Gateway for NFS.

This hotfix is included in Services for UNIX 3.5, However, the default setting disables the hotfix. To enable this hotfix, add the MountSymlinkTargetShare registry value that is provided earlier in this article, and then set its value to 1.

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